Gassing hood



Jan. l2 1926.

G. J.- LIPScoMB GAssING HooD Filed May 18, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 12 1926. lG. J. LlPscoMB GAssING HOOD I Filied May18, 1923 Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATE@ GASTON J'. LIPS'COMB, OF NEW YORK, Y.

GASSING HOOD.

Application filed May 18, 1923.' Serial No. 639,831.

To all 1c/om it may concern:

Be it known that I, GAs'roN J. LrrsooMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gassing Hoods; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention. relates to gassing hoods in general and particularly tothat class `of hoods designed primarily for the gassing of boll-weevils.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple andefficient gassing hood for covering aplurality of plants whilesubjecting them to the action of a lethal gas. Other and further objectsof the invention consist generally in the details of construction of thehood and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

The devastation due to the boll-weevils is well known and many differenttypes of apparatus have been designed for use with various poisonousgases for applying the poison in a convenient and orderly manner to thegrowing cotton plants. A number of such devices are limited rathersharply to the particular kind of poison used, some employing lethal gasand others using a liquid spray of insecticide. In the present hood anydesired poisonous gas may be employed limited only by the requirementthat the gas shall not be harmful to the growing plants although fatalto the insects.

A very convenient and important, although not absolutely essential,feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of springhinged bristle doors serving to knock or jar the weevils from thesquares in order that they may fall into the pockets provided in thehood and thereby subjecting them to a stronger concentration of the gasprovided such gas is heavier than air, lVhile I do not Wish my inventionto be limited in any way to use with a particular gas I find that themost convenient and efficient gas for exterminating these pests .is thatwhich is produced by heating together crude petroleum and sulphur in aclosed retort using approximately fifteen parts of the oil to thirty-twoparts of the sulphur. The gas thus produced may be liquefied and is veryeffective in quantities as small as one-tenth of one per cent, althoughI prefer to usc this gas, which is carried by the sing hood in a liquidform, in somewhat stronger quantity, usually inthe neighborhood ofone-half of one per cent, that is,

one part of gas by volume to two hundred parts of atmospheric air.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred type of my gassing hood,

Figure l is a top plan view with a portion `of the canvas coveringremoved in order to show more clearly the structure of the framework.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in central vertical section. l

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3MB of Fig. l. Y y

Fig. 4t is a section on li11e4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.V 4 but on a much larger scale.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the ground wheels and the fan structure. y

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are detail views sho-win the supporting structure forthe fans an the driving mechanism of the fans.

The hood consists generally in a covered structural steel framesupported by a pair of ground wheels 10 and driven or pulled in anydesired manner, the connection for pulling or pushing being purposelyomitted in order not to restrict the invention in any way. The hood mayobviously be horsedrawn or may be towed from a vehicle of any nature, ormay be pushed by hand.

Thel framework in the preferred form illustrated in the several figuresincludes a plurality of arches each consisting of a piece of channeliron irregularly bent into lthe form best seen in Fig. 6. At each sideof the central portion 11 which forms the top the channel is bentdownwardly to form the sloping portions 12 of the roof of the hood andthe channel is then bent through a sharp angle, almost 90, to form thelong side pieces 14 of the framework and finally the ends 15 are bentupwardly to an acute angle with the side members 14:, the two end pieces15 being directed toward eachother and slightly upward.

The several outer arches thus formed are connected together by aplurality of longitudinal rolled iron sections such as the members 18between the fiat and sloping sections of the roof; the angle irons 19 atthe junction yof the roof and side sections, and the angle-members atA'the junction of the side pieces-14` and end pieces 15. These variousangle pieces extend the entire length of the gassing hood and with thecrossed tie, members 22 of the sides and the several struts 23 of theroof section form the outer framework supporting ,the ,canvas covering24 which encloses the hood on the top, sides, and bottom, it being notedthat the canvas covering 24 extends between the channel ends 15, ftheangles 20, andthe angle irons 25 which connect the tips of the ends 15ofthe various channel members Vforming the outer `arches oftheframework.

A second series of larches isforined insideof the vfirst mentionedarches, each of `'the members being formed from channel iron slightlylessin size than the channel irons forming the members `11, 12, 14inlorder that the channel. membersof the outer `and inner arches maynest together as best seen in Fig. 8. The innerarch includes twosidemembers which are bentinwardly .at approximately their centers to formconverging side members 3'1 which are'fastened at their lower ends Itothe longitudinal `,angle virons 25and nest within :the outer Ychannelmembers at thejertex between the sections 30 and 31 where the outerchannel members are connectedtogther by `the mainy angle .pieces 32which run the entire length of the hood andserve to support the framework on ythe .ground wheels 10 as well as on the auxiliary wheels 33which as shown are in the Ynature of casters.

Each of the two ground wheels 10 carries a grooved wheel 35 which drivesa wheel 36 -on the shaft 37 which also carries the some what largergrooved wheel 38., the latter driving, through the beltor chain 40 andvthe meshing gears .41 and 42,'.one or more Afans Inorder'that vthehood-mai` be reversible I preferably provide a plurality of fans 44 ateach side, each having, the usualclutch (not illustrated) in ordery thatyone or the other of the fans may be invbperatidn depending upon thedirection vof travel of the hood. rlhe way in which thesevarieuselements are supported in the 'framework is elearly shown inFigs. 19 to 1,1..

The framelofreach'end.ofthe gassing hood is identical with-the V`framenfornie'dby `each pair of the Aarches so that a description of one will4s uiiice lfor theremainder, thesole difference .being that in each ofthe outer flames eslliistrated in F 5 the Space between the` zanglesections 12, 14 and r30 iS enclosed incanvas as is vthe trapezoi-dalsection between the members 11, and the 'trans verse rods46 which entendbetween the side members 3Qfof` the inner arch members, one 0f Iblhese,members 46 'beine heated .at ,each arc At each 01.1.@ .ef-.thesetransverse frames i1l cluding the two ends I hinge a number of bristledoors adapted to strike vthe cotton plants so as to jar or shake theinsects from the squares. Preferably there are live such doors to `eachtransverse frame the upper door 50 preferably swinging fabric flap beingconnected at its upper edge to the transverse member 46 and having aplurality of depending bristles 51 which just clear the upper edges ofthe doors 53 hinged to `the side members 30 of the inner arch. The lowerdoors 54 are generally similar to the spring hinged doors 53 havinghorizontally disposed bristles 55 slightly overlapping in the centerasnshown, the principal difference being Ythat the doors 54 carry at thebottom edge .a number of radially disposed bristles to llill in thespace to the bristles 56 carried by. cach of the longitudinal angleirons 425 joining together the tip ends of the channels formingthe innerand outer arches of the sections. y

It will .be noted from the various yfigures, particularly 5. that eachend of the hood is entirely closed so that the hood forms a nearlygas-tight chamber. yOn referring to Figs. 3, 4, .and 6, however, it willbe noted that the space triangularl at each side of each section,between the members 12, 14and 30 is yentirely open longitudinally sothat a duct is formed from one end of the hood to the other. The variousmembers 30 of `the inner arch are covered with canvas 60 throughouttheextent of the hood except for each end section at which place thecanvas 60 is omitted. That is, the canvas eX- tends from the next to theend member 30 at one end of the hood `to the .next to the end member 30at the opposite end of the hood so that at each endof the hood there achamber which `extends from side inember 14 to side member 14, in otherwords, the central chamber in, communication with theside ductskvateacl'r end of the device.

The `purpose of this construction is to provide a continuous circulationof the poisonous gases through the hood. The fans 44, in'efcrablylocated at the center of the device asbest seen in Fig. 2, provide acir- `culation of the gases in one direction through the two ductsformed between the members 30 and 14 and as a consequence of theformation of this current of .air and gas the mixture passes in oppositedirections through the center of the hood in contact with the plants.

In the metallic cylinder or gas container 62 locatedon top of the hood Istore a quantity of the gas formed by heating together crude oil andcommercial sulphur which gas is found to be an exceptionally goodinsecticide as it leaves ,a very fine deposit `of sulphur upon thegrowing plants. The steel cylinder 62 is equipped with a standard stopvalve 64 and a reducing, valve lower bristles 56.

65 ot the usual type in addition to the two stop valves 66 which controlthe outlet oi gas from the steel cylinder through the pipe '67 to thecentral chamber ot the hood. The

is preferably liquetied and is consequently under pressure.

In operation the hood is placed in such a manner as to straddle a rowoit cotton plants which extend between the bristles 56 at the bottom ofthe hood and into the chamber iormed by the canvas covering 24 over themembers l5 and .L4 at the bottom and the canins G0 over the members 30at the upper sides and again by the canvas 24 extending over the centralsections of both of the two channel members at each `joint ot the frame.As the gassing hood is drawn along, preferably in continuous fashion,the growing cotton plants enter successively the forward end of thehood, passing between the wide bristle doors 53 and 54 and if the plantsare of sulicient height also pressing aside the doors 50.

The valve 66 near the forward end of the hood, which of course dependssolely on the direction of the travel of the device since the hood isentirely reversible, is open to such an extent as to provide the properstrength of the gas, namely, approximately one-half of one per centofthe gas. By reason of the travel of the hood the gas will be moved tothe rear end of the hood but its direction of travel will be reversedand its circulation greatly aided and augmented by the two forwardlydirected fans 44 in operation (the rearwardly directed fans having beenrendered inoperative) which direct the gaseous mixture in the two returnducts 68 toward the iront of the vehicle, from whence it passesrearwardly through the hood to the rear ends of the ducts 68, thusproviding a continuous circulation of the poisonous gases and preventingexcessive loss of the gas through the rear doors which while notgas-tight are substantially so, the valve 66 admitting only sufficientquantity of gas 'trom the steel cylinder to make up for the loss at thebottom and rear.

It will be obvious that the amount of gas used will depend entirely uponthe speed of travel of the hood, the size of the gas chamber used andthe gas tightness of the rear end of the hood and of the With a suitablemix'- ture of air and poisonous gas such as described the boll-weevil isalmost instantly paralyzed and the sharp jarring movement given to theplants by the bristle doors at each of the several sections as the plantpasses through the hood causes the partially or fully paralyzed weevelto be knocked from the squares and plant and to fall into the ledgebetween the longitudinal angle irons 2() and 25 which forms a pocket ateither side of the bottom bristle brushes the hood.

heavier than air the atmosphere in these lower corner pockets has avsomewhat higher concentration oi the gas and hence even with a veryweak' mixture any paralyzed -weevils accumulating in thesepockets willbe killed within a very short space of time.

What I claim is:

l. In a device of the character described, a skeleton frame, a coveringfor the top` and sides of said frame, a flexible closure for the bottomof said frame, and a plurality of longitudinal partitions dividing theinterior of the device into a pluralty of chambers.

2. In a device of the character described, a skeleton frame, a coveringfor the top and sides of said frame, a lexible closure for the bottom ofsaid frame, and a plurality of longitudinal partitions dividing theinterior of the device into a plurality of separated chambers.

3. In a device of the character described, a skeleton frame, a coveringfor the 'top and sides of said rame, a flexible closure for the bottomof said frame and a plurality of longitudinal partitions dividing theinterior of the device into a main chamber and two return passage ducts.

4. In a device of the character described, a skeleton frame, a fabriccovering for the top and sides of said frame, a plurality oflongitudinal partitions dividing the interior of the device into amainchamber and a plurality of separated return ducts, a gas reservoirdelivering poisonous gas within said device, and a fan in each duct forcausing a circulation of gas and air through said main chamber.

5. In a device of the character described, a skeleton frame, a fabriccovering for the top and sides of said `trame, a plurality of groundwheels supporting said frame at the center, a flexible closure for eachend of said device, a flexible closure for the bottom of said device,means for delivering a poisonous gas to the interior of said device, andmeans for circulating the gas and air mixture.

6. In a boll weevil gassing hood, a frame having a central chamberthrough which the plants are passed and side chambers partitioned fromsaid central chamber, supporting ground wheels for the frame, means fordelivering a poisonous gas to the side chambers, and a ledge at ythebottom of each side chamber for collecting the weevils and holding themin the atmosphere of poisonous gas.

7. A plant treating machine comprising a mobile hood adapted to be movedover Since the gas used is somewhatl vegetation, positive means forkforcing gas in Contact l.with aegetationbeneath the hood and means forwithdrawing 4:the gas from beneath the hood for reuse.

8. A plant treating machine comprisingv a mobile hood adapted to bemoved over vegetation, means for yforcing gas into con tact withvegetation lbeneath the'hood, and positive .means for withdrawing thesur- 10 plus from beneath said hood for reuse.

9. A .plant treating machine comprising a mobile hood having an inletad]aeent its iront end, means for 'orclng'gas through said inlet intointimate Contact with vege- GASTON J. LIPSCOMB.

